3 Aug 2023, 09:43
Lost and Found
Mahlioz was wandering the corridors, book in hand. She'd just had Defense Against the Dark Arts (which she wasn't really amazing at), but now she had a free period, thankfully. She was using it to catch up on her Quidditch theory. If she couldn't make it on a broom, she could at least know how they worked and what their history was. Besides, Quidditch Through The Ages was rather interesting.
Time: 9:57
Mentions: X
Thoughts
Pausing her reading for a few moments, she looked down at her timetable. She had History of Magic next, a class which most students found dead boring but one that Mahlioz strangely appreciated. It was like listening to stories, and though she preferred reading them, there wasn't that much of a difference.
History of Magic was on the first floor, one under the corridor she was in. But she had plenty of time. The thought of the first floor made her remember the other two classes there - DADA, the one she'd just had, and Muggle Studies. You could only do Muggle Studies if you chose it in third year. Third year - her next year. That was insane to think of. She wondered what classes she would choose - probably Ancient Runes? But what else?
Mahlioz put her timetable away and got back to her book, but her heart was no longer really in it. Which was rare, for a book. Although it made sense somewhat, since it was about Quidditch, something Mahlioz could not care less about. But her mind was elsewhere now, thinking about the future, and Hogwarts itself. It was crazy how big it was, and even crazier that Mahlioz was now able to make her way through it (almost) with her eyes closed. It showed how much time she spent here. But never would she forget the first year stresses of getting lost and late to a class.
Last edited by Mahlioz Evethisawe on 4 Aug 2023, 17:36, edited 1 time in total.
3 Aug 2023, 18:16
Lost and Found
Salina fiddled with her lip as she wandered down the corridors. Yes, plural, because she actually lost count of how many seemingly different ones she had been down, not counting ones she thought she went through twice or more. Salina wasn't scared, she was just anxious to get to an area that was familiar enough, even though it was her very first week of school, which meant that not much was familiar.
She sighed heavily, pausing for a moment to get her bearings. Some hallways had framed pictures, others were bare, one even lead to a great hall that held moving staircases, which was incredibly daunting, especially to figure out on her own. Salina didn't think she would be lost for that long, but she would unfortunately gradually start panicking in situations where she felt too alone and uncertain. And who could blame her in an big, old castle such as this one?
She looked around nervously, feeling small, too small. Everything felt to big and obnoxious, too much for her. Salina went next to the wall and slid down until she was in a squatting position. She hadn't been in a situation like this one before she wasn't the best at handling the pressure, so she just saw there breathing unevenly, eyes darting from one end of the corridor to the other. It was just too quiet.
Salina felt her throat close up and closed her eyes. No, no, no crying, please..., she begged. She really didn't like crying. Not because she felt weak but because she felt like it made this more complicated, especially when others could see. She liked being calm and collected, so she wouldn't draw unnecessary attention to herself.
A lone tear was going down her cheek when she heard a noise. She whipped her head to the side, wiping the tear away as she took in the sight of another student coming her way.
The girl had chocolate brown skin, not too far off from her own, and very noticably green eyes. The closer she got—which made Salina get up—the more she noticed the vibrancy of the color, like two emeralds or two mirrors capturing the essence of a lush jungle. And if she was notiving her eyes so much, that probably meant that the girl was noticing her back.
"Er, I wasn't crying or anything," she stuttered, clearing her throat. Really? She didn't even ask. What if she actually doesn't care. Salina took notice of the Slytherin crest and deflated just a little. While not all Slytherins were mean, people like her, Muggleborn, tended to draw nastiness even from the kindest of them.
She looked off to the side wearily, not wanting to make eye contact with the girl. "I was wondering if you could perhaps help me? I-I want to get back to...uh, just the hall where the Gryffindor Common Room is. If you know where that is..." She looked back at the girl, noticing that she looked the same age. "Unless you're new, too, then. Sorry."
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
She sighed heavily, pausing for a moment to get her bearings. Some hallways had framed pictures, others were bare, one even lead to a great hall that held moving staircases, which was incredibly daunting, especially to figure out on her own. Salina didn't think she would be lost for that long, but she would unfortunately gradually start panicking in situations where she felt too alone and uncertain. And who could blame her in an big, old castle such as this one?
She looked around nervously, feeling small, too small. Everything felt to big and obnoxious, too much for her. Salina went next to the wall and slid down until she was in a squatting position. She hadn't been in a situation like this one before she wasn't the best at handling the pressure, so she just saw there breathing unevenly, eyes darting from one end of the corridor to the other. It was just too quiet.
Salina felt her throat close up and closed her eyes. No, no, no crying, please..., she begged. She really didn't like crying. Not because she felt weak but because she felt like it made this more complicated, especially when others could see. She liked being calm and collected, so she wouldn't draw unnecessary attention to herself.
A lone tear was going down her cheek when she heard a noise. She whipped her head to the side, wiping the tear away as she took in the sight of another student coming her way.
The girl had chocolate brown skin, not too far off from her own, and very noticably green eyes. The closer she got—which made Salina get up—the more she noticed the vibrancy of the color, like two emeralds or two mirrors capturing the essence of a lush jungle. And if she was notiving her eyes so much, that probably meant that the girl was noticing her back.
"Er, I wasn't crying or anything," she stuttered, clearing her throat. Really? She didn't even ask. What if she actually doesn't care. Salina took notice of the Slytherin crest and deflated just a little. While not all Slytherins were mean, people like her, Muggleborn, tended to draw nastiness even from the kindest of them.
She looked off to the side wearily, not wanting to make eye contact with the girl. "I was wondering if you could perhaps help me? I-I want to get back to...uh, just the hall where the Gryffindor Common Room is. If you know where that is..." She looked back at the girl, noticing that she looked the same age. "Unless you're new, too, then. Sorry."
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
Last edited by Salina Skeeter on 4 Aug 2023, 13:51, edited 1 time in total.
And suddenly—the dreams started chasing me.
3 Aug 2023, 22:50
Lost and Found
Mahlioz had just entered an empty corridor before realizing it wasn't as empty as she thought. Someone was sitting against a wall... on the ground? At the sound of Mahlioz's footsteps, they looked up with a start. It was a girl, it seemed, and the first thing the Slytherin noticed about her was how beautiful she was. Warm brown skin, though lighter than her own, with dark eyes and even darker hair. Though she wasn't really conscious of it, she was more used to seeing people with lighter skins around the castle, so it felt weirdly nice to see someone with skin closer to Mahlioz's own color.
Time: 9:58
Mentions: X
Thoughts
The girl had gotten up by now, giving Mahlioz a chance to see her Gryffindor robes, and stuttered something about the fact that she hadn't been crying. Mahlioz frowned slightly. The Gryffindor's rather watery voice said otherwise, and so did the statement itself. Why else would she even have mentioned crying in the first place? But Mahlioz understood, and decided not to say anything, however curious she may have been. The encounter was already awkward enough.
Looking away, the other girl suddenly asked if Mahlioz could help her. As it turned out, she was lost, and looking for the Gryffindor common room. Things started to make sense now. She was surely a new firstie, on her first day at Hogwarts, which Mahlioz could definitely relate to. It had only been a year since she'd been in the same place.
"Oh, sure," she said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's three floors up from here, if I remember correctly... I don't go up there often, since, well, I'm not a Gryffindor." She grinned, then paused. "Do you want me to go up with you? I don't have class right now..."
Last edited by Mahlioz Evethisawe on 4 Aug 2023, 17:37, edited 1 time in total.
4 Aug 2023, 04:27
Lost and Found
Suddenly newfound courage found Salina and she opened her mouth to say something about her perhaps knowing the way there, but honestly she didn't, nor did she want to get lost any further. She scratched her arm and quietly thanked the girl. "This probably won't happen again because I learn where I need to go soon enough. But thanks, again, anyway." Saying that lifted her feelings a little, giving her a sliver more of confidence.
Still, the eeriness of the empty, unfamiliar corridors got to her, even with the girl standing there. Salina looked at her again, taking in her features. She was actually really beautiful. Even though she didn't care much for liking people romantically at the moment, she did wonder if maybe this girl attracted a lot of boys, or even girls. She suddenly felt shy again and went back to focusing on the situation at hand.
"Also," she said, going in whichever direction the girl decided to go. "Were you ever scared walking around here? It can be creepy to some people, I think."
She eyed the girl's Slytherin crest briefly, looking away as her lips twitched into a very slight frown. Not that it matters, honestly. I shouldn't get caught up in house drama... She sniffed, saying, "I'm Salina, by the way."
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
Still, the eeriness of the empty, unfamiliar corridors got to her, even with the girl standing there. Salina looked at her again, taking in her features. She was actually really beautiful. Even though she didn't care much for liking people romantically at the moment, she did wonder if maybe this girl attracted a lot of boys, or even girls. She suddenly felt shy again and went back to focusing on the situation at hand.
"Also," she said, going in whichever direction the girl decided to go. "Were you ever scared walking around here? It can be creepy to some people, I think."
She eyed the girl's Slytherin crest briefly, looking away as her lips twitched into a very slight frown. Not that it matters, honestly. I shouldn't get caught up in house drama... She sniffed, saying, "I'm Salina, by the way."
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
And suddenly—the dreams started chasing me.
4 Aug 2023, 11:24
Lost and Found
The girl seemed eager to prove that she wasn't completely hopeless and that she'd learn her way around soon enough. Mahlioz nodded. "I don't doubt it. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the feel of things, so don't worry if you need a little help." It was weird, giving advice like this. Mahlioz was used to being the younger one, the one in need of help, the shy one who never talked to people without a reason. And here she was, helping a younger student to get to their destination. She felt... older. Wiser. It was something she was not used to feeling.
Time: 9:59
Mentions: X
Thoughts
Leading the girl through a few different corridors, she listened as the Gryffindor asked if she was ever scared. Mahlioz considered that. "Not scared, really, more stressed out. I was always trying to get to class on time, so I didn't really pay attention to whether it was creepy." Glancing around, she could understand why others may find it that way. Especially imagining it during the night. But it was a beautiful kind of creepy, she found. Maybe it was because she loved Hogwarts, or because she'd missed it for the past two months, but... she found it magnificent.
The first year eyed her uniform for a second before looking away. Mahlioz wondered what she was thinking. Was it something to do with her uniform...? After a quick glance down, the Slytherin realized it was probably her house crest. Ah yes. She'd forgotten about the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor stereotypes. First years hadn't yet gotten a chance to realize how wrong they were. What would this girl think if she found out Mahlioz's best friend was a Gryffindor? She smiled to herself.
They'd made it to the staircase by now, but that didn't really mean much. The second year had understood by now that the stairs did what the wanted, and you just had to hope for the best. As they started mounting the steps, the girl introduced herself as Salina. "Nice to meet you! I'm Mahlioz. First- er, second year Slytherin." She still wasn't used to that.
4 Aug 2023, 15:06
Lost and Found
Salina frowned. She knew she wouldn't need help navigating for too much longer. She was fairly good at learning her surroundings quickly, but just the initial stages of uncertainty and unfamiliarity made her feel uneasy. And she had never lived inside a huge castle such as this one before, one that was full of so many which-ways to go. Even though she had her weariness about the unknown, Salina did feel a spur of curiosity when it came to things that felt like an adventure, and from the tidbits she heard about the school, she knew it was definitely something worth exploring, inside and out. Especially with friends.
"It probably won't take me that long." she said. "It's just my first week, and I haven't lived in a place as big as this one."
The girl said she had been more focused on getting to her classes than what the castle was like. Salina hoped she wouldn't end up that... distracted over school. She figured that the classes were challenging even if they were magical courses, but she didn't think it would be stressful. That made her want to ask more questions about what studying at this school would be like.
They were near the moving staircases and as they climbed—Salina nervously since she didn't know any levitating spells—the upperclassman introduced herself as a second year Slytherin named Mahlioz. Salina raised her brows curiously. "Where does...Mahlioz come from? Are you from the U.K.?"
Salina observed how they were going through the moving staircase area, and squinted at the girl. "Are you one hundred percent sure we're going the right way? What if they move us in the wrong direction, and you only think it looks a certain way." Even though she wasn't certain herself, and the girl had more experience, she was exceedingly knew to magic and was bound to question things.
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
"It probably won't take me that long." she said. "It's just my first week, and I haven't lived in a place as big as this one."
The girl said she had been more focused on getting to her classes than what the castle was like. Salina hoped she wouldn't end up that... distracted over school. She figured that the classes were challenging even if they were magical courses, but she didn't think it would be stressful. That made her want to ask more questions about what studying at this school would be like.
They were near the moving staircases and as they climbed—Salina nervously since she didn't know any levitating spells—the upperclassman introduced herself as a second year Slytherin named Mahlioz. Salina raised her brows curiously. "Where does...Mahlioz come from? Are you from the U.K.?"
Salina observed how they were going through the moving staircase area, and squinted at the girl. "Are you one hundred percent sure we're going the right way? What if they move us in the wrong direction, and you only think it looks a certain way." Even though she wasn't certain herself, and the girl had more experience, she was exceedingly knew to magic and was bound to question things.
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
And suddenly—the dreams started chasing me.
8 Aug 2023, 19:40
Lost and Found
Time: 10:00
Mentions: @Irina Shevel
ThoughtsReducioSorry for how late this is!
Apparently, the girl was much better than Mahlioz with directions. The Slytherin was glad not everyone had taken so long to get to know the school. It was maybe because she disliked exploring and much rathered read in her dorm. That had changed a little, what with meeting Irina and starting to expand her horizons. But in her first month, she'd been very different, which was very probably why it took her so long to know her way around Hogwarts.
As they spoke and introduced themselves, Salina asked where Mahlioz's name came from. "Yeah, I've lived in Scotland all my life," she responded to the question of whether she came from the UK. "I er... well, my parents have a habit of naming their kids weirdly. My sister was named after a thestral that..." She paused. "Er, long story. For me, it was the name of a character that my mom really liked."
To be more precise, a character Alarian had come up with when playing Dungeons and Dragons, many years before Mahlioz's birth. And she'd been quite proficient at coming up with peculiar names at the time. So... a half-orc fighter by the name of Mahlioz was born, and was loved so much that Alarian had decided the name was right for her child. The Slytherin had a weird mom.
As they mounted up the steps, Mahlioz made sure to count the paintings on the wall and make sure they were the right ones for this staircase. It was her way of making sure the stairs weren't bringing them somewhere they had no need to go to. Sure, it didn't stop them, but at least she would know.
Salina asked if she was one hundred percent sure they were going the right way, to which Mahlioz nodded, before pausing. "Well... it's Hogwarts. You can't be 100 percent sure of anything. But I am almost completely sure we're going the right way." She pointed behind her, at one of the paintings on the wall. "My strategy is to memorize which paintings go where so that I know if we're on the right path or if the stairs have brought us somewhere else. The stairs move, but the I've never witness a painting do so yet."
Turning back to look where she was going, she continued. "See, so at the next corner, there should be a big painting of a field with a knight on his horse. He might not be there, he could be visiting another painting, but the field will." They turned said corner, only to find a wall with a small painting of a bearded man, who seemed to be sleeping. Mahlioz looked behind her, then back at the painting. "Ah. Crap."
12 Aug 2023, 01:50
Lost and Found
Mahlioz was a very cool sounding name, if Salina thought so herself. Even though her own name was fairly simple and common, she was proud of it. She has once asked her mum about it, who told her that she was named after both her great-aunt and a famous singer. The name meant 'moon goddess'. Her mum, who was a little superstitious given her island roots, said that she felt like her daughter had a peculiar and powerful aura about her, but definitely wasn't expecting this. She still couldn't believe, waving this whole magic school thing as a government cover-up.
She half wondered about the story Mahlioz had stopped herself from sharing, but didn't ask. There were so many interesting creatures in the magic world, and thestrals were one of them, along with real-life sphinxes and dragons. She couldn't tell, though, from the girl's facial expression if the experience with the thestral had been a good one or not. Hopefully good, since her sister was named after one.
Salina wasn't sure how to feel about the whole 'It's Hogwarts. You can't be 100 percent sure of anything.' thing, which made her feel a bit uneasy, but what came next only made it worse.
Mahlioz explained her strategy for getting around this area, which was memorizing the locations of the paintings. That was another thing that Salina had to get used to, the moving paintings. The moving photos was one thing, it was not too different from looking at a video, but a painting? And they really went into other ones like it was nothing special! Heck, they were different art styles at times!
Salina's distraction with the paintings wore off when she heard the 'Ah. Crap.' from the Slytherin. First she narrowed her eyes, but then she felt pricks in the corners of them and shook her head.
"Really?" she cried. She turned her head, looking at painting that was strangely empty, as if something were missing, and took a deep breaths to calm her nerves. She didn't want to spaz, or at least too much, at this girl who was helping her.
She turned back, with a small sigh. "Uhmmm, sorry. Let's just see where the knight is, maybe...if he's even roaming in any of these paintings." There were so many in the castle. Salina recalled the Fat Lady for Gryffindor. "The paintings can talk, right?"
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
She half wondered about the story Mahlioz had stopped herself from sharing, but didn't ask. There were so many interesting creatures in the magic world, and thestrals were one of them, along with real-life sphinxes and dragons. She couldn't tell, though, from the girl's facial expression if the experience with the thestral had been a good one or not. Hopefully good, since her sister was named after one.
Salina wasn't sure how to feel about the whole 'It's Hogwarts. You can't be 100 percent sure of anything.' thing, which made her feel a bit uneasy, but what came next only made it worse.
Mahlioz explained her strategy for getting around this area, which was memorizing the locations of the paintings. That was another thing that Salina had to get used to, the moving paintings. The moving photos was one thing, it was not too different from looking at a video, but a painting? And they really went into other ones like it was nothing special! Heck, they were different art styles at times!
Salina's distraction with the paintings wore off when she heard the 'Ah. Crap.' from the Slytherin. First she narrowed her eyes, but then she felt pricks in the corners of them and shook her head.
"Really?" she cried. She turned her head, looking at painting that was strangely empty, as if something were missing, and took a deep breaths to calm her nerves. She didn't want to spaz, or at least too much, at this girl who was helping her.
She turned back, with a small sigh. "Uhmmm, sorry. Let's just see where the knight is, maybe...if he's even roaming in any of these paintings." There were so many in the castle. Salina recalled the Fat Lady for Gryffindor. "The paintings can talk, right?"
@Mahlioz Evethisawe
And suddenly—the dreams started chasing me.
20 Aug 2023, 19:37
Lost and Found
Well, so much for seeming cool in front of a younger student. It wasn't something Mahlioz had ever aspired to do, but it had felt good for the few moments it had lasted. Honestly, she'd never felt very helpful to others - and for good reason, she spent most of her life in the library - and although she wasn't doing much, it was nice to know that she was doing something to help. But now, here they were, in front of a painting Mahlioz wasn't sure she'd ever even seen before, completely and utterly lost.
Time: 10:02
Mentions: X
Thoughts
Or... maybe not. After a moment of anger, Salina suggested they try to find the knight, who was most likely exploring a new painting. The Gryffindor also pointed out that the paintings could talk. "Yeah, you're right, we could ask some of them?" She paused, glancing at the painting of the bearded man in front of them. "Maybe not this one, though. I feel like he won't want to help us if we wake him up."
She moved a little further, to find a painting of a woman riding a hippogriff. She seemed to be having the time of her life, so maybe disturbing her wasn't the best idea, but the two girls needed some help. "Excuse me, have you seen a knight lately? The one who usually lives in the field, and never leaves his horse?" She had no idea how far away these two paintings were from each other, so there was a chance the two had never met. She shouldn't have worried, however, because the woman seemed not even to have heard her. Mahlioz sighed. "I guess we're going to have to find that knight on our own..."